strabo wrote:

How many Americans do you know who would understand a German speech?

Lots around Milwaukee.



99% of Americans live out their entire lives without ever confronting
a German speaker, or Swahili. Why would an American bother to learn
Urdu?

Until 1917, the Milwaukee public schools taught in German, with
mandatory English as a second language. Although neither my hearing
nor my German is good enough to follow a long speech, I can get the
gist. No Urdu, though.

David

On Sun, 03 Aug 2008 07:22:54 -0500, "David R.Birch"
wrote:

strabo wrote:

How many Americans do you know who would understand a German speech?

Lots around Milwaukee.



99% of Americans live out their entire lives without ever confronting
a German speaker, or Swahili. Why would an American bother to learn
Urdu?

Until 1917, the Milwaukee public schools taught in German, with
mandatory English as a second language. Although neither my hearing
nor my German is good enough to follow a long speech, I can get the
gist. No Urdu, though.

David


I believe that New Braunsfeld, (sp?) Texas maintained German as the
offical language until the beginning of WW2

Gunner

The hottest places in hell are reserved for those
who in times of great moral crisis maintain their neutrality",
John F. Kennedy.